By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

Finke

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Greg Finke will leave the Oak Hills Schools to become principal at Lakota's Independence Elementary School.

Finke, 32, on Monday was named Independence's second principal, replacing Cathy Newkirk, who retired Jan. 31 after serving as principal since the school's 1994 opening. He will start by the end of February and will be paid $74,000 annually.

"It's a great honor to be selected to work in one of their elementary schools as principal," said Finke, who has been assistant principal at C.O. Harrison Elementary School for 2‡ years. "I look forward to the challenge ... of not only keeping the schools excellent but going beyond that."

The Fairfield Township resident received his bachelor's degree from Ohio State University in 1993 and his master's from the University of Cincinnati in 1997.

He taught in the Whitehall Schools in suburban Columbus and Little Miami Schools in Warren County before going to the Oak Hills Schools. There, he worked one year as an assistant principal at both Bridgetown Middle and Oakdale Elementary before being named assistant principal at C.O. Harrison in 2000.

"This gentleman brings to us a love of learning," Superintendent Kathleen Klink said.

E-mail suek@infi.net